Bill Freed

We have several different performance formats, and a lineup drawn from a wide circle of approximately 20 very experienced musicians who have played together extensively. We play a unique mix of jazz and R and B, with touches of New Orleans and go-go, Washington D.C.'s unique musical form. We can modify the music as required for specific occasions. I also play unaccompanied jazz guitar as background music for cocktail parties, receptions, and dinners. We work with various musicians, and the music samples indicate several of the musicians that we regularly perform with. For events such as weddings we can also add a female vocalist, for example Sara Coleman (sample number 6).

Often we play jazz for one or two sets, followed by dance music for another one or two sets. We have used several names for our basic group, mainly Brilliant Corners or JazWorks. We also have a larger R and B group, "Outta Pocket Band" which plays current and classic R and B for parties and dancing. If you look at the client feedback, you will see that it suggests a somewhat puzzling array of musical styles. Thus, most of the feeback reflects events for which I played solo guitar, or our customary mix of jazz and R and B, but in some cases we have emphasized caribbean music and reggae (feedback from Natasha J.), fusion and New Orleans-style music (Terrance G.), Christmas music (Taylor G.), latin and Cuban music (Amanda W.), and on one occasion even music of the far East (Janessa S.). We have a large repertoire; some of our most frequently-played songs are listed in the songlist; but we can perform almost any tune, especially if requested in advance.

The core members of our band are Bill Freed, Spencer Strother, and Mike Morris, with one or more special guests such as Tomas Drgon, David Whittaker, Luke Skywalker, Donvonte McCoy, Mike Grasso, Tiffany Sharon, Johnny Jones, Jesse Powers, Tony Njoku, Trey Crudup, Marcus Wyche, Dimitri Nassar, Sam Prather, and Sara Coleman. We have performed at innumerable venues in the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area, including leading jazz clubs such as HR57, Twins, and Club 347, many hotels and restaurants, as well as receptions for the Mayor of Baltimore (see feedback from Charmeda B.) and the Governor of Maryland (see feedback from Janessa S.).

Finally, if you would like jazz guitar, perhaps for quiet background music, or for those who have hired me to play solo guitar in the past, I am of course available to play solo jazz guitar, represented by sample number 7. If you would like to hear us play live, I don't play very often in bars and restaurants, but I am playing on Thursday Dec. 15 at Fin's restaurant in Crofton, Maryland (with a band) and on New Year's eve at Don Shula's restaurant in Vienna, VA (trio, for background music).

Finally, if you would like jazz guitar, perhaps for quiet background music, or for those who have hired me to play solo guitar in the past, I am of course available to play solo jazz guitar, represented by sample number 7. I am sponsored by Hagstrom Guitars, Alvdalen, Sweden and play exclusively original Hagstrom Guitars.

• Brick House - Commodores
• Bring it on home to me - Sam Cooke, Eddie Floyd
• Celebration - Kool and the Gang
• Cupid Shuffle - Cupid
• Do it Again - Steely Dan
• Do it til you’re satisfied - BT Express
• Evil Ways - Santana, Willie Bobo
• Groove is in the Heart - Dee Lite
• Guantanamera - various, traditional
• Hi Heel Sneakers - Tommy Tucker
• I put a spell on you - Screamin Jay Hawkins, Nina Simone
• I’m on Fire - Bruce Springsteen
• Kansas City - Wilbur Harrison
• La Murga - Willie Colon
• Margueritaville - Jimmy Buffett
• Midnight Special - traditional
• Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
• No Woman No Cry - Bob Marley
• On Broadway - The Drifters, Geroge Benson
• Oye Como Va - Tito Puente, Santana
• Pancho and Lefty - Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard
• P-Funk - P-Funk
• Play that Funky Music - Wild Cherry
• Poke Salad Annie - Tony Joe White
• Rainy Night in Georgia - Brooke Benton, Tony Joe White
• Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
• Save the last dance for me - The Drifters
• Shakey Ground - Etta James
• Six Days on the Road - Dave Dudley, Taj Majal
• Soul Shakedown Party - Bob Marley
• Spanish Grease - Willie Bobo
• Summertime - George Gershwin
• Thank You for Letting me be myself - Sly and the Family Stone
• Them Belly Full - Bob Marley
• Vamos a Bailar - Gipsy Kings
• Waiting in Vain - Bob Marley
• Mercy, Mercy, Mercy - Joe Zawinul
• Stomping at the Savoy - Benny Goodman
• Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock, Mongo Santamaria
• Wave - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Work Song - Nat Adderly
• Well You Needn’t - Thelonious Monk
• Night And Day - Cole Porter
• Misty - Errol Gardner
• Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
• One Note Samba - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Out Of Nowhere - Johnny Green
• A Night In Tunisia - Dizzy Gillespie
• Autumn Leaves - Johnny Mercer
• Birk’s Works - Dizzy Gillespie
• Black Orpheus - Luis Bonfa
• Bye Bye Blackbird - Ray Henderson, Miles Davis
• It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington
• Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• Song for My Father - Horace Silver
• Sofrito - Mongo Santamaria
• Road Song - Wes Montgomery
• Up Jumped Spring - Freddie Hubbard
• Softly as in a Morning Sunrise - Oscar Hammerstein and Sigmund Romberg
• Over the Rainbow - Harold Arlen
• Coming Home - Mel Tourme
• Cantelope Island - Herbie Hancock
• Caravan - Juan Tizol, Duke Ellington
• Cissy Strut - The Meters
• Blue Train - John Coltrane
• In Walked Bud - Thelonious Monk
• Treat her Right - Roy Head
• and many others!
• * A Night In Tunisia - Dizzy Gillespie
• * Affirmation - Jose Feliciano George Benson
• * All Blues - Miles Davis
• * Autumn Leaves - Johnny Mercer
• * Basin St. Blues - Spencer Williams Louis Armstrong
• * Black Orpheus - Luis Bonfa
• * Blue Train - John Coltrane
• * Breezin - George Benson
• * Bring it on home to me - Sam Cooke Eddie Floyd
• * Bye Bye Blackbird - Ray Henderson Miles Davis
• * Cantelope Island - Herbie Hancock
• * Caravan - Juan Tizol Duke Ellington
• * Cissy Strut - The Meters
• * Cold Duck Time - Eddie Harris
• * Coming Home - Mel Tourme
• * Day Tripper - Beatles
• * Do it Again - Steely Dan
• * Evil Ways - Santana Willie Bobo
• * Farther on up the Road - Bobby Bland Joe Medwick
• * Freddie the Freeloader - Miles Davis
• * Girl From Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• * I put a spell on you - Screamin Jay Hawkins Nina Simone
• * It Don't Mean a Thing - Duke Ellington
• * Jody Grind - Horace Silver
• * Jordu - Duke Pearson
• * Kansas City - Wilbur Harrison
• * Little Sunflower - Freddie Hubbard
• * Mack the Knife - Kurt Weill
• * Meditation - Antonio Carlos Jobim
• * Mercy Mercy Mercy - Joe Zawinul
• * Midnight Special - traditional
• * Misty - Errol Gardner
• * Mr. Magic - Grover Washington Jr.
• * Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett
• * My Prerogative - Bobby Brown
• * New Orleans - Gary U.S. Bonds
• * Night And Day - Cole Porter
• * Over the Rainbow - Harold Arlen
• * Oye Como Va - Tito Puente
• * P-Funk - P-Funk
• * Play that Funky Music - Wild Cherry
• * Rainy Night in Georgia - Brooke Benton Tony Joe White
• * Red Clay - Freddie Hubbard
• * Ring My Bell - Anita Ward
• * Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry
• * Road Song - Wes Montgomery
• * Shakey Ground - Etta James
• * Sidewinder - Lee Morgan
• * Six Days on the Road - Dave Dudley Taj Majal
• * Sofrito - Mongo Santamaria
• * Softly as in a Morning Sunrise - Oscar Hammerstein and Sigmund Romberg
• * Song for My Father - Horace Silver
• * Soul Shakedown Party - Bob Marley
• * Spanish Grease - Willie Bobo
• * St. James Infirmary - traditional
• * Summertime - George Gershwin
• * Take Five - Paul Desmond
• * Take the A Train - Billy Strayhorn
• * Thank You for Letting me be myself - Sly and the Family Stone
• * Them Belly Full - Bob Marley
• * Treat her Right - Roy Head
• * Vamos a Bailar - Gipsy Kings
• * Walking to New Orleans - Fats Domino
• * Watermelon Man - Herbie Hancock Mongo Santamaria
• * Well You Needn't - Thelonious Monk
• * Work Song - Nat Adderly

Anniversaries, Awards Nights, Banquets, Birthday Parties, Children's Birthday Parties, Christenings, Christmas Parties, Church Services, Clubs, Community Events, Conventions, Corporate Functions, Country Clubs, Dinner Dances, Festivals, Fund Raisers, Funerals, Graduation Parties, Grand Openings, Halloween Parties, New Year's Eve Parties, Picnic, Private Parties, Restaurants, Reunions, School Assemblies, Weddings, Wedding Ceremonies, Wedding Cocktail Hours, Wedding Receptions...and more.

• Bill Freed and his band did a great job for our holiday reception. They were professional, accommodating and provided a perfect atmosphere for our reception. I strongly recommend Bill and his band. -- Taylor G, Washington, DC, 12/6/2007
• We utilized both Bill Freed's jazz group and rock band Cover Story for our outdoor wedding in October 2007. Bill was excellent to work with in planning the event, providing feedback and asking the right questions to make sure we had the event we wanted. The group learned a new song for our first dance and played it exceptionally well. They were professional, talented and great to work with. Bill is a star on the the guitar, the female jazz vocalist was exceptional. All in all, a group deserving of a top rating! We definitely recommend them for weddings and other events for clients who care about the quality of music and don't want "just another wedding band." -- Patricia M, Paris, VA, 10/7/2007
• The band is fabulous! They interacted with the whole party. The songs were great. I highly recommend them. Feel free to email me at lolatbowedding@yahoo.com -- Leonora G, Cockeysville, MD, 9/15/2007
• He was able to set up quickly and performed beautifully. The audience was full of professionals and supporters. He played with ease and the music was so beautiful it seemed effortless. We received many complements from all the attendees. We will definitely use you again in the future for another fundraiser or event. We also have no problem recommending him to others. As a Nonprofit Organization, I feel that we were very fortunate to have such a kind, and generous professional who was very accommodating for our guest. -- Charmeda B, Baltimore, MD, 5/2/2006
• Excellent entertainment for my event! He listened about what I wanted to accomplish, and he delivered it. My guests and I enjoyed his music. To top it off, he is very nice to work with. Sara Rubida Arlington, VA -- Sara R, Arlington, VA, 4/30/2006
• Very talented and quite a lot of fun to chat with after the fact! -- Lauren W, Washington, DC, 2/15/2006
• All our 35 guests raved about the music Bill provided! His style of jazz guitar was the perfect background for our 25th anniversary celebration. He was accomodating and understood the sound we were looking for. We will definitely look to hire him again, as will quite a few of our guests! Thanks, Bill--you made the party extra elegant! Jerry and Barbara -- Barbara F, Harwood, MD, 7/16/2005
• Bill and his band were great! He went above and beyond to cater to our specific needs with very little description or direction on our end. He actually went and researched the type of music we were looking for to be sure to nail down the sound! He even let us borrow some of his other personal equipment AND brought it over himself before the event. The entire group was extremely friendly and easy to work with. I would definetly reccomend him for any kind of event; he will put together a program for anything you are looking for and do it well. -- Janessa S, Baltimore, MD, 3/29/2007
• Bill and his band were absolutely perfect for our wedding!!! We had them play for the ceremony and the reception at our backyard, and we couldn't be more happy with them. All of our guests LOVED their music, were super impressed with them, and kept asking where I found them! The vocalist and the rest of the band were just phenomenal, and I would highly recommend them to anyone considering them for their event! :) -- Jennifer T, Bowie, MD, 7/30/2011
• This is the second year Bill and his band have played our company Holiday party and each time we get rave reviews. They are always on time, well equipped and eager to please the crowd. I know when I call Bill everything is taken care of which leaves me to have a great night with my co-workers. Thanks again and we'll see you next year! -- Ali B, Baltimore, MD, 12/12/2011
• Bill Freed and company played at my wedding reception. I highly recommend them. The band is excellent. Very versatile. Expert handling of all my requests. Some unique arrangements for older standards, too. Played to the audience. Had a very good pulse of the crowd. High energy. Bill Freed is perisistent in his attempts to make communication. It's difficult to get me on the phone, but Bill Freed tried to contact me again, and again, but not in an overly pushy way. Easy to work with he is. He's willing to tailor the instrumentation of the band to fit whatever style or mood you want. -- Terrance G, Baltimore, MD, 11/25/2011

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